Savior in Shadow Slave

Lucas's words hung heavy in the air.

Both Akame and Elizabeth fell silent, neither of them moving for a long time. The weight of his suggestion—of what it meant—settled like a stone on their chests.

"So, that's why you called us here, Lucas?" Akame's voice finally broke the stillness, trembling between bitterness and sorrow. "And here I was, foolish enough to hope you simply missed the times we spent together. That maybe… you came to this place because it's been eight long months since he disappeared."

Her tone cracked slightly at the end, like something raw and broken bleeding through her words.

Elizabeth, who had been staring quietly at the floor, raised a hand—but paused. Instead, she ran her fingers through her hair, her expression cold yet shadowed by something softer, something unspoken.

Lucas's eyes shifted to her, his face unreadable.

"So, you knew," Elizabeth finally said, her voice level but sharp. "You knew I got my hands on the [Moonlight Shard]? I'm guessing another one is with you as well. And the [Midnight Shard]…" her gaze slid to Akame, "…is with her."

"Correct," Lucas admitted without hesitation. "I went after that memory, but the boss was already dead. Bitten off and stabbed by a dagger so many times it barely looked like a creature anymore. So, I assumed it had to be you."

Elizabeth's eyes narrowed slightly as she looked at him, her silence heavy and sharp enough to cut.

"So, why call us now, Lucas? You were the one who chose to go alone after that day. You were the one who… cut off what little bond we had left."

Lucas's jaw tightened, but his expression remained composed. "I don't know what you're talking about," he said flatly. "As for why I'm asking you now, it's simple. They're beyond me as I am now. I can kill them, yes… but the price would be unacceptable."

Akame's eyes darkened, her fingers tightening around the blade resting on her lap. Her voice was low, laced with sorrow and venom.

"So, what's their rank?"

Lucas exhaled slowly, his gaze shifting between them.

"One is a Fallen Devil… the one that lives right in your neighborhood." He glanced at Akame, and she didn't flinch, though her jaw locked.

"Another is a spider monstrosity—a Fallen Tyrant."

He paused for a moment, as if weighing whether to continue, then added,

"The third is also a Fallen Tyrant. It commands an army of immortal skeleton soldiers that won't stay dead."

Elizabeth's cold gaze flickered at the mention of 'immortal'.

"And the last one," Lucas continued, his voice dropping slightly, "is just a Fallen Monster. But it's in the Hollow Mountains. And…" He leaned forward, his tone growing grave, "the statue we were supposed to touch—it's moving. It's roaming the Dark Sea."

Both Akame and Elizabeth stiffened.

"If I'm right," Lucas said, his voice low but unwavering, "and if the steps I've been hearing in the sea are real, then it's coming closer. We have a week, maybe less. So, I suggest we take out one or two of the Lords before it arrives. Otherwise, we'll have no chance."

"So, you actually want to fight that statue?" Elizabeth's tone was cool, but there was a faint edge of disbelief. "If it's been roaming the Dark Sea for this long, doesn't that make it a Corrupted Horror?"

"Huh!? Who said anything about fighting it?" Lucas grinned, a faint, unsettling glint in his eyes. "I'm going to ride it."

There was silence. Both women stared at him like he had finally crossed the line between boldness and complete insanity—which, truthfully, he had a long time ago.

"…You're insane," Akame muttered flatly.

"Don't worry," Lucas said, waving a hand dismissively. "It's not what it looks like. Unlike what you'd assume, it's not a corrupted being. It's… more like a Transcendent Echo."

Elizabeth's brows furrowed, her gaze sharpening. "Hmm. I guess that could make sense… but how do you even know that?"

Akame's voice cut in, harsher and suspicious. "Yeah, Lucas. How do you know all that?" Her tone suggested she was ready to draw her blade if his answer sounded even remotely dishonest. Elizabeth didn't speak, but her cold eyes mirrored the same question.

Lucas stared back at them, silent for a few long seconds, his expression unreadable. Then he sighed, shoulders dropping slightly.

"…It was Murphy," he said quietly. "He told me… the day before he disappeared."

When the word 'Murphy' left Lucas's mouth, something strange happened. Both women froze for a heartbeat, their expressions softening in unison. It was as if that single name unraveled the tension, as if everything suddenly made sense. Neither of them pressed him for more details—Murphy's name alone was reason enough to trust.

"So, what's the third key you got?" Akame finally asked, her voice quieter than before. "Is it some sort of spear, sword… or maybe a shield?"

"No," Lucas said, shaking his head. "It's a crown. A crown called [Dawn Shard]. And it has an enchantment unlike anything I've ever seen."

Elizabeth's eyes narrowed. "What kind of enchantment?"

"It boosts the strength of a Memory."

Akame blinked. "Huh!?"

Lucas smirked faintly. "You heard me right. It elevates every Memory under Ascended tier —Dormant rank Memories become Awakened tier, Awakened tier rise to Ascended, and Ascended Memories reach their absolute peak."

Elizabeth and Akame exchanged a glance, both lost in thought.

'If there really is a Memory that can amplify other Memories to such an extent… then wouldn't that mean…?'

The same dangerous idea flickered through both their minds.

Akame's eyes drifted to the Corpse Collector. She opened her mouth to speak—only for Lucas to cut her off sharply.

"I know what you're thinking," he said. "But don't bother. It only works on Memories. Only Memories."

Elizabeth frowned, her brows furrowing. "Wait… doesn't that make it a nightmare for human warfare?"

"Why?" Akame asked, tilting her head.

"Because," Elizabeth said slowly, "if it boosts every Memory… wouldn't it boost the enemy's Memories as well?"

Lucas's smirk vanished. "Correct. But thankfully, we're not fighting humans—we're dealing with monsters. I suggest we fight the spider monster first."

"Why? Wouldn't it be easier to go for the Fallen Devil?" Elizabeth asked, her tone sharp but measured.

"No," Lucas replied, his voice firm. "Because I want the Cathedral as a safe haven for us. Unlike you, Elizabeth, Akame and I can't heal ourselves. We'll need a place to fall back to when we're bleeding out. The moment the Devil dies, this place will be flooded by remnant residents, every one of them a Fallen being."

The room fell into silence after Lucas's reasoning. The faint crackle of the Corpse Collector's fire filled the space like an unwelcome reminder of how fragile their situation was. Akame's fingers tightened around the hilt of the star-blade resting against her lap, her eyes narrowing as she studied Lucas.

"What are you talking about, Lucas? Shouldn't the Spider Tyrant only be an Awakened Tyrant? I remember Murphy saying it wasn't beyond our reach."

Lucas' gaze darkened, a shadow crossing his face.

"If I hadn't seen it with my own eyes, I wouldn't have believed it either. But Murphy isn't an omniscient god, Akame. That thing… it's a Fallen Tyrant, I guarantee it."

For the briefest moment, his expression softened, as if remembering something that made Murphy seem all too human—too mortal.

The silence stretched, heavy and suffocating, each of them lost in their own thoughts. The memory of Murphy hung between them like an unspoken ghost, stirring feelings they couldn't name.

Finally, Akame broke the silence. Her voice was quiet but edged with steel.

"So," she said slowly, her tone carrying a sharp edge, "you're suggesting we take on a Fallen Tyrant first. That thing—" Her voice dropped, almost a whisper, "—that spider should be the size of a house and armored like a damn hover tank, and plus, it commands five hundred minions. Five hundred, Lucas. And you want us to just waltz in?"

Lucas met her gaze, unflinching. "What's your alternative? Sit here waiting for our time in Dark City to be over or wait for some savior who may or may not appear?" His smirk didn't reach his eyes.

Akame's jaw clenched. "Don't play games with me. You've been keeping secrets since Murphy disappeared. You think I didn't notice? Every time you mention his name, you act like you know something we don't."

"Maybe I do," Lucas replied, his tone colder now. "But you're not exactly transparent either. What are you hiding, Akame?"

Elizabeth's hand moved instinctively to the hilt of her dagger, her eyes shifting between the two. "Enough," she said, voice firm but distant, as if she was weighing every word. "Whether he's hiding something or not, we don't have the luxury of time. Our doom will only be more certain the more we wait."

"Doom?" Akame scoffed. "You make it sound like we are already not fighting against something unkillable. Its carapace can shrug off most Awakened-tier attacks. What's your plan, Lucas? Just charge in and use some Oh-so powerful weapon to wipe them all?"

Lucas leaned forward, resting his spear against his shoulder. "No," he said with unnerving calm. "We break its army first. Isolate it. Then we strike together, like we used to."

"Like we used to?" Elizabeth's voice turned icy, her lips curling in something almost like a bitter smile. "Funny how you say that after cutting us all off for months."

Lucas's smirk faded. For a moment, something darker flickered in his eyes. "Do you think I enjoyed any of that? You think I didn't bleed every day since he vanished?"

Akame stared at him, the firelight catching the wet sheen in her eyes, but her voice was sharp as glass. "If you're lying, Lucas, I'll cut you down myself. I don't care what you've got on that crown."

Lucas smiled thinly. "Then I guess you'll have to see me in action."

Elizabeth finally stood, her face unreadable. "Enough. We're wasting time. If we're going after the spider, we do it at dusk. But if either of you pulls any hidden card that puts me at risk…" Her hand gripped her blade. "I'll make sure you regret it."

The tension hung like a blade over their heads, unspoken but deadly. For a moment, none of them moved—just three fractured souls staring at each other, each wondering if they could still trust the others enough to survive the nightmare ahead.